


Ruby Becomes a Drag Queen

by Vex_ation



Category: Pocket Monsters SPECIAL | Pokemon Adventures
Genre: Drag, Gen, Lisia said trans rights, Pokemon Showcases, Trans Girl
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-12
Updated: 2020-08-12
Packaged: 2021-03-06 02:55:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,406
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25866286
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vex_ation/pseuds/Vex_ation
Summary: Upon learning the Pokemon Showcases in Kalos are female-only, Ruby sets off to prove men can be princesses by becoming a queen.
Comments: 10
Kudos: 31
Collections: Spe Character Studies





	Ruby Becomes a Drag Queen

Sapphire didn’t often have a chance to see Ruby truly angry. She had seen him get melodramatic or whiny or obnoxious plenty of times, but it was rare she got to see him truly furious. Instead of his usual shrill outbursts, he got very quiet, his hands clenched into fists and his entire body shaking slightly with rage. It was a sight to behold really, because when Ruby got angry his entire face seemed to change, a power flowing into his limbs that was usually absent in his flashy persona. Sapphire could see the power of Groudon glowing behind his eyes, a bestial and primal fury that seemed to convert him from a dramatic contest star to a cyclone of destruction and lividity. It was a little bit terrifying, but in times like this she couldn’t help but feel bad for him. 

She, Ruby, Emerald, and Lisia had all decided to visit Kalos together, mostly for the sake of the contest freaks. There was plenty to do in Kalos’ forests, but the real allure lay in the romantic atmosphere and the gorgeous, haute couture type of scenery that Ruby and Lisia just adored. The two of them just loved to pay too much money to munch on tiny cakes in little cafes overlooking the canals and whisper silly things about the outlandish outfits of passersby. In the end, she much preferred to chase Emerald around through the streets trying to get a bite of the massive croissant he bought himself at a nearby convenience store. It was good exercise for the both of them, she got a croissant out of it (or at least a few bites), and it was funny to see how Emerald made up for his slower speed with incredible dodging tactics and a spatial awareness that rivaled even hers. Now though, there was no running or tiny desserts or bizarre fashion to make fun of. Instead there was only a very angry Ruby staring ahead at a sign and fuming. Sapphire could barely read Hoennian nevermind Kalosian, but she knew Emerald was well-versed in more languages than she could name thanks to his travels. She blinked down at him in confusion, so he just rolled his eyes and pulled her down to his eye-level. 

“The sign is for Pokemon Showcases, that thing Ruby and Lisia wanted to try,” he whispered. “It says it’s a female-only event, so Ruby can’t participate.”

“That’s stupid,” Sapphire pouted. Emerald didn’t have a chance to respond before Ruby violently shook his hands out, turning and stalking away with a glare sharper than daggers. Sapphire and Emerald exchanged a quick glance, Lisia biting her lip and sending them all a quick text before marching into the Showcase stadium. There was something she, as a contest idol, had to try. 

By the time Sapphire and Emerald had caught up to Ruby, he was sulking in the hotel room. 

“I can’t believe this!” Ruby shouted to no one in particular. “Female-only… what the hell does that have to do with anything! I can be a princess idol if I want to.”

“I think you would make a great princess idol!” Sapphire said to try and comfort him. Emerald snorted from his side of the bed, whether in agreeance or laughter she wasn’t sure. 

“You’re right!” Ruby proclaimed. “I’d make a damn fine princess idol too!” Sapphire nodded enthusiastically as Emerald rolled over to steal another one of Ruby’s fancy chocolate truffles. 

“Fuck yeah,” he mumbled with his mouth full. Before Ruby could continue his tirade any further, Lisia slammed open the door looking equally furious. 

“This region’s contests are misogynistic bullshit,” she snapped as she sunk into the nearest chair. Her friends all nodded, pondering what to do. 

“They say only girls can enter because… well I don’t know what their reasoning is, something about it being tradition and it being impossible for a guy to be crowned queen.”

Ruby groaned loudly as he crossed his arms. “That’s such a stupid rule.”

“Haven’t they ever heard of drag queens before?” Sapphire wondered aloud. All eyes suddenly turned to her, a mixture of surprise and realization and a bevy of terrible ideas staring her in the face. 

“Drag queen…” she repeated softly. “Drag queen! A guy can be a drag queen and enter the competition!!”

Ruby, newly invigorated, leapt from the bed and tore open the closet. Emerald froze, truffle still unchewed in his mouth, and retreated back to where Sapphire was leaning against the wall to avoid being hit by the hangers and dresses Ruby was tossing haphazardly on the bed. Lisia seemed to be equally excited as Ruby, grabbing her sequined “idea journal” and beginning to scribble on the pages. Sapphire and Emerald watched silently as they worked. Emerald swallowed the chocolate in his mouth and stared up at Sapphire as he wiped his lips with his sleeve. 

“Are we watching Ruby try drag?” he asked. 

“I- I think so,” Sapphire replied. Emerald smiled and passed her a truffle. 

“This’ll be dope.”

The rest of the day became a tornado of activity, Lisia and Ruby pouring over fashion diagrams online as they took Ruby’s measurements and played around with dresses and fabrics. Lisia held up assorted earrings and necklaces to frame his face better while Ruby browsed through his unfathomably large makeup collection to start smearing things on his arms and create the blueprint for the ideal high femme look. Emerald and Sapphire stood in the corner eating all their (edible) souvenirs, watching as the two of them shifted into overdrive to plan exactly how they would conquer the unique challenge this Kalosian stage posed. 

Though neither of them could pretend to know what Lisia and Ruby were doing or the intricacies of creating a feminine form from just fabric and makeup, it was captivating to watch. Thus, they stayed as the two of them did their magic. 

A few hours later, lists were pushed into their hands and they were sent out of the hotel room to pick up a few very specific things from a few very specific stores. Sapphire insisted they buy some snacks first (which they did in earnest) but after some quick pre-game munchies they were ready to go, racing each other through the Kalosian streets and leaping over meticulously groomed Furfrou on the way to some little fabric store. 

It took them an hour, a few talks with the manager, and a few video calls with Ruby and Lisia, but eventually they managed to pull themselves out of the store with all the necessary needlessly expensive fabric and no warrants for their arrest (which made the day’s trip far better than the last time Ruby asked them to pick something up for him). After that, it was only a quick jog back to the hotel. 

The two of them arrived to see Ruby and Lisia with a full sewing machine making heavy modifications on one of Lisia’s ballgowns. There were thread and pincushions all over the floor, an episode of Contest Moms blaring at full volume on the TV, and abandoned shoes and accessories covering every possible surface. It looked vaguely like the house had been ransacked. Sapphire and Emerald gently pushed the fabric in their direction, causing Ruby to squeal in delight. As Lisia noticed, she too perked up and made the last few stitches in the hem of Ruby’s new dress. She then passed her station off to Ruby and began to organize the rest of the room, tucking away shoes and jewelry and dresses they had abandoned in their search. 

“Did they bring an entire sewing machine in their suitcase for this?” Sapphire mused aloud. 

“Yes!” Ruby replied over the rumbling of his machine. “I’m not an animal, I need to be prepared for these things!” 

When the floor finally became clear enough to walk on, Sapphire and Emerald snuck over to the bed and made themselves comfortable, changing the channel to something that sounded a little less nightmarish. The rest of the day remained a little more calm, Sapphire and Emerald relaxing while Ruby and Lisia finished putting together their showcase outfits. Just before they all got ready for dinner, the two of them walked out of the bathroom in their costumes. 

Sapphire found herself enamored with them, a little part of her squealing with delight at the gorgeous folds and colors that made their eyes sparkle like gemstones and pulled every ounce of beauty from their faces. Though their makeup and hair were not done, the dresses still made them look absolutely stunning. Lisia opted for something close to her usual attire-- sky blue bike shorts with a cloud-like tutu billowing out in all directions, a tight bandeau that hugged her frame and puffy arm bands that made her look like a snapshot of a summer sky. Her gloves, boots, and accessories only made the outfit lighter and more beautiful, the cool blues bringing out the minty color of her eyes and the shock of her neon blue hair. 

Ruby, however, looked nothing like his typical self even without the padding on his chest or the wig thrown on his head. His dress was stark white, pooling down into a dark red ombre by the time it hit the floor. The wires and tool Lisia had stuffed the skirt with made it cascade downward and hide the flatness of Ruby’s hips, while a velvet cape draped over the top made his shoulders look smaller and took the edge off his sharp features. The difference was subtle, but the changes made him look like an entirely different person, more of a wispy ingenue than a melodramatic Hoennian contest star. Sapphire could only choke out “you look great” in her stupor, but Emerald gave Ruby a playful whistle as he twirled. 

“Thank you, thank you,” he said. Sapphire couldn’t help but smile. This was going to be fantastic. 

The next morning, Emerald and Sapphire were barely awake by the time Ruby and Lisia started getting ready. Their outfits were steamed and pressed, hanging from the outside of the closet while they did each other’s makeup and nails. Ruby sat patiently while Lisia contoured his face, the creams and powders transforming him into someone Sapphire could barely recognize. 

“You’re good at this,” she said as she watched in awe. 

Lisia twirled her brush, smiling as she turned Ruby’s face left and right to find any spots she missed. “I’ve been practicing how to pass for 12 years, I better be good at it.”

Sapphire couldn’t argue with her logic, so she just watched groggily as they turned from her friends into high femme superstars. Now, with the wig and corset and padding, Ruby looked more feminine than even Sapphire, the exaggeration of his figure making Sapphire’s head spin in circles. Ruby claimed to be attractive in anything, and she was starting to realize he wasn’t kidding one bit. 

“You guys use so many bottles, how do you even keep track of them?” Emerald mused as Lisia mixed two hair gels together and tucked away all the loose strands from Ruby’s wig. 

“Practice,” Ruby replied, “and accidentally drinking toner once.”

“Oof,” Lisia said with a chuckle. Emerald and Sapphire stared at the two of them and their weird makeup-people jokes. They didn’t understand any of what the two were doing, but they did know that the minute they both stood up and struck their poses they looked absolutely gorgeous. If looks could kill, they had sent Sapphire into the seventh circle of hell. The two of them blew a kiss at their friends, walking hand in hand down to the elevator and off towards the stadium. Sapphire and Emerald knew they had at least twenty minutes before they had to start following them-- there was a ton of registration and prep-work the two of them had to do alongside the fact that Sapphire and Emerald, even counting Emerald’s short legs, were twice as fast as those Slowpokes. 

“How do they walk in those heels?” Sapphire mused aloud as she stared at the ceiling. 

“Lots of practice. Once you get it it isn’t that hard though.”

Sapphire turned suddenly. “Emerald, can you walk in heels?” Emerald stared at her with a downright incredulous look on his face. 

“Sapphire, the first time you met me I walked around in stilts that were at least a foot and a half high, of course I can walk in heels!”

As if to demonstrate, he hopped off the bed and pulled a pair of stilettos from Lisia’s closet, strutting around the room with the confidence of someone who knew exactly what they were doing. 

“Maybe you should try drag,” Sapphire offered playfully. Emerald threw the shoes back in the closet and stuck his tongue out at her. 

“In your dreams.”

Sapphire giggled. “Should we head over to the stadium?”

“Probably,” Emerald replied as he pulled his sneakers back on. 

As the two of them soon discovered, Pokemon Showcases were a little bit different from the contests of Hoenn. They were in huge indoor stadiums, had far more participants, and most importantly had an absolutely massive crowd and some swanky glowsticks, which Sapphire promptly tried to chew on as soon as they had found their seats. Before Emerald could swat them away, the lights dimmed and a melodramatic man that reminded them both of Ruby took center stage with his Klefki, explaining the rules and history of showcases. He showed them what to do with their glowsticks-- apparently called glowcasters-- and went on a very boring and very enunciated spiel that also reminded them both of Ruby. Luckily, however, before either of them could zone out completely he ended his speech and descended beneath the stage, leaving them all to watch as the curtains rose on the first performers. 

“While I’ve been talking about the rules, our performers have been busy bedazzling their pokemon as part of our first round! Be sure to vote on your glowcasters for the duo that charmed you most.” 

Sapphire noticed Emerald grinning smugly out of the corner of her eye. The audience began to ooh and ahh as the performers made their way out on the catwalk, strutting to the music as people watched in awe. Lisia and Ali looked stunning as always, their dual award-winning smiles near blinding in the spotlight. Their enthusiasm was downright infectious. The other contestants followed, but whether it was her talent or Sapphire’s bias, none could compare to Lisia. Then there were the gasps as the last contestant made her way on stage. Sapphire could recognize that look from a million miles away. Ruby had the confidence and power of a Pyroar, a short of bestial regality and poise about him that stunned everyone. Rara linked her arm with his, the two of them drawing all the attention as they showed off their synergy and beauty. Red and gold adored Rara’s horns, falling like a veil down her face and blending perfectly with Ruby’s outfit. Sapphire couldn’t help but think it was perfect, since Rara hadn’t been used in contests as much as his other pokemon, choosing mostly to relax at home or accompany Wally on his adventures instead. 

“Cast your votes, ladies and gentlemen! Remember, blue is for Lisia, green for Lily, yellow for Dalia, and orange for Topaz, and red for Ruby!”

Sapphire had to stop her jaw from dropping. Ruby, the absolute clown, didn’t change his name or his Pokemon. No amount of makeup or corsets could possibly fool the announcers, could it? 

“So the higher-ups here are sexist  _ and _ stupid,” Emerald mused. Sapphire just rolled her eyes and raised her glowcaster high as it shone a brilliant red. Beside her, she noticed a sky blue on Emerald’s. 

“You’re voting for Lisia?” she asked. 

“She looks really pretty,” he replied. Sapphire could only laugh. 

“Lisia is always pretty.” 

Emerald smiled to himself. “I know.”

As expected, Ruby and Lisia passed with flying colors. They were the two winners from their round, but unfortunately there were quite a few more to go. Despite the underlying grossness of the Showcases, they were rather fun to watch, especially seeing how everyone else voted around you. Even still, the two of them were just anxious to see their friends take the stage again-- which meant they had to wait past intermission first. As the speakers droned on about safety and the nearest overpriced snack venues, Sapphire and Emerald checked their PokeNavs. 

“im sure u voted for me <3” Ruby’s group chat text read. 

“Of course!” Sapphire replied. 

“If by that u mean Lisia then yes,” Emerald texted back, earning a heart from Lisia and a thumbs down from Ruby. “Good luck 2 u both.”

As soon as Emerald sent his text, the lights dimmed again and the second portion of the contest began in full swing. This part was way too similar to Hoennian contests, so Sapphire found herself captivated watching their elegant moves and the subtle differences between her homeland’s styles and those of Kalos. Sapphire lost track of time, but suddenly it was time for voting and she had to nudge Emerald awake-- he didn’t seem to find it half as interesting as she did. 

Once again, Sapphire raised her red glowcaster to Emerald’s blue one. Most of the audience seemed to agree with them-- Ruby and Lisia’s colors overwhelmed the audience. It was clear their skill crossed even to Kalos. 

“The votes are in,” the announcer proclaimed, “and the winner of today’s Showcase and proud holder of this Princess Key is… RUBY!”

Sapphire and Emerald burst into a hysterical fit of laughter as everyone clapped and cheered. This was going to be GREAT. 

Lisia snickered as she followed the other contestants off stage and Ruby strutted to the center, a haughty smile on his face. 

“I present you with this Princess key, dear!” the announcer said with a bow. “Is there anything you want to say to your adoring fans?”

Ruby smiled at him, speaking for the first time during the Showcase. 

“In fact I would. Many of you may know me not as a showcase star, but a contest star from Hoenn who earned all the ribbons in eighty days. I am here to tell you that I have charmed and conquered the Kalosian stage!”

The announcer chuckled to himself. “While I admire your enthusiasm, my love, Ruby is a man and would not be allowed to participate.” Sighing, Ruby tore off his wig. 

A hushed silence fell over the entire stadium, the announcer’s face flushing crimson as Ruby looked triumphantly towards the stupefied audience. There was no mistaking it down, especially not with the wig off and Ruby’s telltale haircut and sliced up forehead in full view of every camera. Emerald broke the tense silence by shouting down at him. 

“THE SCAR’S ON THE WRONG SIDE, POSER!”

As Ruby stared up at him in confusion, a murmur swept through the stadium.

“No... no the scar is on the left.... it’s really him!! That’s Ruby!!!”

The murmur quickly became a rumble, then a roar as everyone realized just who had one this Showcase. It seemed as if the entire stadium suddenly erupted in shrieks and cheers and just about everyone changed their glow caster to his color. The howls of a thousand teenage fan girls drowned out everything else, leaving the announcer helpless in the onslaught of people snapping pictures and declaring their love and admiration for the Hoennian superstar. Sapphire and Emerald joined in, the former knowing the latter was a good enough friend not to reveal the heartfelt confessions she spilled amongst the crowd that she knew wouldn’t reach him. Ruby posed, blowing kisses to the audience and winking at the announcer as he hung his head in shame. The next day, all the headlines in Kalos had Ruby plastered all over the front cover. He was swiftly disqualified from the Showcase and banned from every stadium in Kalos for the rest of his life, but watching the board scramble to explain why men still weren’t allowed to participate was a reward all its own. The protests and petitions popping up online were music to his ears. Now, he sat in a Café with his friends, munching on tiny desserts in the view of the Lumiose skyline. 

“See?” Ruby said, tapping on the newspaper on the table, “men can be queens.”


End file.
